Dalpe Park - Pelham, NH

Our trip came to a conclusion just before Father's Day.  So we spent four days visiting with family and relaxing.  Went to see Mame! at the North Shore Music Theater.  With our kids visiting from the west coast, it was a wonderful week-end.

Of course, looming in the background was the trip down the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Virginia.  This is not a particularly camper friendly part of the world...roads that are passenger car only, state parks that are not pet friendly, expensive gasoline...so we decide to make the trip in one shot (650 miles).  We were able to stop along the way,  took a few naps, made lunch, made dinner, which made it bearable.  But still, it took almost three hours to get around Washington.

We left before sunrise and got home after sunset...but it was over!   Nothing left to do, but clean the RV for our next trip!

Watkins Glen State Park - Watkins Glen, NY

Gorge at Watkins Glen

As promised, we had an early start out of Findley State Park in Ohio.  As I went to throw our trash in the dumpster, I was met by four beady eyes.  Two raccoons had gotten stuck in the dumpster and could not get out.  I felt I should let someone know.  The camp host was right next to the dumpster, so I knocked on his door, figuring he should be up by 7:00.  He told me that the same two raccoons get stuck in the dumpster every Wednesday, because they can’t get out until it s half full.  They put a stick in the dumpster so they can crawl out.

After a nice Interstate drive, we arrive at Watkins Glen with enough time to walk through the Gorge. As Deb said, “It was gorge-ious!”  Lots of tourists.

This is really our last night out.  Tomorrow, we visit with family for a few days, and then home to whatever awaits us after being away a month and a half!

In the morning we decide for a very early start and leave in our PJ's! 

Findley State Park - Wellington, OH

We are now on the final part of the trip.  We pass through the birth place of Thomas Edison, and the town that Archibald Willard painted “The Spirit of ‘76” without even batting an eye.  We head right for the campsite, make dinner, change the sheets, catch up on e-mail.  It has rained really hard here in the past few days and everything is muddy.  So instead of hiking, we make meatloaf (slow cooker style) and garlic bread (pan cooked).

It will be an early start for the next two days, at least early for us...half the time it seems like the campground empties before we wake up.

Bay City State Park - Bay City, MI

The scenic trip down the eastern coast of Michigan was in a word...scenic.  We arrived at one of those campgrounds where each site is really defined by whether or not you can reach the electric plug for the site, if you can you are in your assigned site.  Within fifteen minutes of arriving, Deb’s Fitbit was bored and wanted to go for a bike ride AND a hike!

There are some storms looming around us, but we have been spared.  Everything in Michigan says “Pure Michigan.”  When Mathews paid $100,000 for “Be Here” we were a little miffed, but it makes you wonder what “Pure Michigan” cost and if they would like to buy “Be Here” from Mathews.

Tomorrow...Ohio

Main Street Inn - Mackinaw Island, MI

Mackinac Bridge (5 miles)

The last time we were here we boarded Drex at Suzie’s Kennel and Quilt Shop, in St Ignace on the upper peninsula, but Susie retired.  So we rebooked to Mackinac City KOA on the lower peninsula which had a kennel right across the street.  With Drex boarded, we headed for Mackinaw Island.  Mackinaw Island does not have cars, or franchise restaurants, just fudge shops, bars and thousands of bicycles for rent.  So, first lunch, then a bike ride around the island, with a brief side trip to Lookout Point, then a nap, then a walk around the town to find the perfect pre-dinner drink place.  Then a walk around the town to find the perfect dinner place.

Making fudge

Then a walk around town to find the perfect after dinner drink place, followed by the perfect place for a nightcap with some Fried Green Tomatoes.  Of course, the highlight of any hotel visit is a large shower, with unlimited hot water.  The only place open in the morning was Starbucks, with an 8:00 ferry ride back to Mackinaw City.  Even after a 10 mile bike ride, several miles of bar hopping, Deb’s Fitbit was not satisfied, and we had to walk the mile and a half back to the KOA.

Today is either a short drive on the Interstate or a scenic drive along the coast. Well, we have to be in Boston on Thursday, but how we get there is our business! (...scenic...)

Mackinac City KOA - Mackinac City, MI

It was 400 miles, it was a time zone change in the wrong direction.  Left at 8:00, arrived at 5:00...enough said.

The drive along Lake Michigan was pretty, and it’s always fun to drive over the Mackinaw Bridge. Stopped to get some Pasties (that’s with a short “a” as in “ball”).  As the woman said, with a long “a” it’s a totally different thing. Pasties are a stuffed pastry that is famous on the U.P. (that’s the upper peninsula to non Michiganers).

Mirror Lake - Wisconsin Dells, WI

Mirror Lake is another redo for us, but only because it’s next to the Ishlana Supper Club which is right on Mirror Lake.  On one of my early cross country road trips, I saw a sign for the Spam Museum, but didn’t stop.  This time, we were driving by right at lunch time...call it destiny.  What an exciting place! Just oodles of information about the history of Spam, how it was the single advantage that the Allied Forces had in WWII!  How it changes the war effort in Vietnam!  There was a chance to test your skills as a canner.  Deb tried it but, alas, will not be asked to return for the job interview. It’s the only place in the world that sells all 15 different flavors of Spam.  We bought several to give as Christmas presents (it’s sort of like buying one of those flowery Hawaiian shirts...it seemed like a good idea at the time)

It was Friday night at the Ishlana Supper Club, so we had a fairly long wait for dinner.  We sat at one of the bars and tried to talk but a trio of loud women next to us kept drowning us out.  Finally, we got away when they called us for dinner, but, yes, five minutes later, they were seated at the table next to us.  Oh well.

It’s 399 miles to Mackinaw City and we have our last time zone change, so it should be an early start.